Improvement in nut-locks



UNITED STATES PirTnNT OFFICE.

CHARLES IV. PENFIELD, OF NEV BRITAIN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF HIS RIGHT TOVILLIAM E. SIMONDS, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

IMPROVEMENT IN NUT-LOCKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 152,249, dated June 23,1874; application'tiled March 24, 1874.

new and useful Improvements pertaining to N lit-Locks, of which thefollowing is a specification, reference being had to the accompanyin gdrawings, where- Figure l is a view of a nut and bolt, einbodying mysaid improvements. Fig. 2 is a View of the same, with the nut cut intransverse vertical section on the plane indicated by the dotted line :va, Fig. l.

The invention consists in the combination of a screw-threaded bolt, ashort coil of a spiral spring fitted to run upon the thread of the boltand a nut, in such manner that while the nut ca-n be readily run upon ordown the thread the spiral spring will not permit the nut to be turnedback or run oit' the thread.

The letter a indicates a screw-threaded bolt; b, a nut, with a chamberin its under or bottom side to hold or contain the spiral spring o,which, to give its most etticient action, should embrace the bolt alittle tightly. Two or three coils of spring are sufficient for thepurposes of this device. That end of the spring which may, perhaps, beappropriately termedthe rear end is turned outward so as to form aprojecting tang or ringer, c', and this finger or tang lies in the slotai', made in the side of the chamber in the nut, which contains thespring, so that the spring` and the nut must turn upon the bolt-threadtogether. It is a fact that the spring and nut thus turning togetherwill readily run upon the thread of the bolt, but will not by theexertion of any reasonable force run back or off the thread 5 and thereason is this: The application of the moving power at the rear end ofthe spring tends to expand the diameter of the coil, and thus make thespring loose upon the bolt. This, when the power is applied in theproper direction to turn the spring upon or down the thread, but theapplication of power at this end oi' the spring to turn the spring inthe opposite direction and ott the bolt, tends to make the coil lessenin diameter', and thus tighten upon the bolt.

It is obvious that the spring can be used upon -the top or bottom ot'the nut or within its body, though I prefer that it be used in a chamberin the under side of the nut for the purpose ot' protecting it from theweather, from accidents, and from being tampered with. To turn the nutand spring oft' the bolt, when this is necessary, it is only requisiteto give the nut a turn backward with force enough to bend down the tangc', when the hold of the spring upon the bolt will be loosened, and itwill follow the nut oft' the thread; or a proper hole can be formed inthe side of the nut, and a wrench used, having a ringer to take hold ofor bear upon the front end of the spring. Y

I claim, broadly, as my invention- The combination of the screw-threadedbolt,

the nnt, and the spiral spring running upon the thread of the bolt andadapted to holding the nut from turning backward or off the bolt,substantially as shown and' described.

CHARLES W'. PENFIELD. lVitnesscs: v

WM. EDGAR SIMoNDs, JOHN P. CONNELL.

